Not resting on their laurels, Rapid Penang celebrated the win of the Outstanding Public Sector Stage Bus award as a motivation of staff across the operation. Leading the way, Rapid Penang has more in store.
We met again with an elated Major Shukri following last year’s win of the NST award for Outstanding Public Sector Stage Bus. There are several updates he has for us as the year 2016 starts. Having reviewed the numbers, he can tell us that “There has been an increase of passenger rides of seven percent, comparing the year 2014 to 2015. We expect that number to further increase this year.” The reason for this increase, according to Rapid Penang is the improved service of the bus operator. There are now even more routes, higher frequency of trips and a new way of managing the flow using the Hub & Spoke approach that one may already know from air travel. Given this, a further seven percent increase in ridership is to be expected this year. In addition, there will soon be a cashless payment system to further enhance the experience. Using for example the MyRapid Card would reduce the handling time per passenger by over a minute compared to cash payments. This project is to be scheduled for completion within the next 18 months.
He added that he is very happy with the Scania buses deployed in the network. “What matters is reliability. You don’t want buses in workshops, you want them on the road and moving people” he said. The investment in European makes has paid off as Rapid Penang currently boasts a 93.5% availability of buses with 97% “On the Road”, both KPIs for the maintenance and planning departments.
Speaking about the award for Outstanding Public Sector Stage Bus Major Shukri had the following comments “We wanted to change the landscape of Penang in terms of Public Transport and I believe that the award is a testament to our achievement. The jury worked very secretive and it was a real pleasant surprise to be awarded.” In his view, the award has not only boosted confidence among passengers, but also morale within the organisation. The livery of the buses has now become a sign of safe and reliable transportation. Shukri further stated that “We not only have the passengers as stakeholders, but also the government which is aiming to improve public transportation. Rapid Penang is working very hard to ensure all parties are satisfied with the work we do. We are very proud to be seen as the best state in the country”. As criteria for the award he cites the state of maintenance, services provided as well as the high on the road rating.
Next time we visit Penang we hope to be hopping onto the “Rapid Mobile”, a bus designated as “Office Bus”. This particular vehicle is fitted with entertainment activities and games to educate and raise awareness for public transport. In action for over seven years now, this bus is frequently part of roadshows around Penang.
